This is a very good, but unfortunately forgotten movie starring Robert Mitchum and Brian Keith.

Brian Keith plays a businessman whose daughter is kidnapped by a Yakuza clan in Japan after Keith screws up an illegal gun deal. Keith's old friend Robert Mitchum owes him a favor, so Mitchum goes to Japan to attempt to rescue the kidnapped girl.

The movie has a nice balance of drama, insights into Japanese culture, and bursts of violent action. There are some well-choreographed swordfights and also some decent gun-play with pistols and shotguns.

The screenplay was written by Robert (CHINATOWN) Towne and Paul (TAXI DRIVER) Schrader, and the film was directed by Sidney (THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR) Pollack, which definitely adds to the quality. If you haven't see this, you might want to get your hands on a copy of the recently-released DVD.

Logged

"Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone."

Saw this a few years ago, and liked it a lot, enough to recommend it around to people I knew. I and another guy who had seen it earlier made such a strong case for the film the owner of the local comic shop we were at went and rented it on his lunch break.

This movie had the right mix of action, story, and emotional drama for my tastes. There is the plot itself, but the drama that plays out based upon the tangled relationships and honor of the characters from events dating back decades really made it work for me. The action was good and believeable, sometimes when they try to insert Westerners into Asia or Japanese-style action it feels forced. This movie didn't fall into that trap.

I'm officially now a Paul Schrader film fan, after just now watching Raging Bull, and really liking it.

I'll have to check it out. So far I'm a fan of Bringing Out The Dead and Taxi Driver as well, but I suppose they're also all Scprsese films so it'd be nice to have a different director, just to compare.

Gritty is the best way to describe it. It also has the best dramatic acting Pryor probably ever did, wish he had done more in that vein rather than the mainstream comedies he steered toward, but I understand why.

I haven't seen it, but Affliction is another usually highly recommended Schrader work.